The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus provided with a recovery apparatus that absorbs waste ink from nozzles of a recording head.
In an example of conventional inkjet recording apparatuses, a recovery process of discharging ink with an increased viscosity due to evaporation of water, and other from nozzles, and of supplying fresh ink in the nozzles is performed. A typical recovery process includes covering the nozzles with a cap, and suctioning the ink in the nozzles with a pump, or applying pressure to the ink with the pump to cause the ink to be discharged from the nozzle into the cap. In this case, an amount of ink consumption is likely to be more than necessary since the ink in all the nozzles is discharged in the recovery process. Especially in a case of a full-line type recording head, an amount of ink consumption tends to be larger.
There is a known inkjet recording apparatus which includes a cover member provided with an absorber having a capillary force greater than a capillary force in a nozzle of a recording head. In a recovery process, the cover member is moved to the nozzle to cause the absorber to contact the nozzle and thereby absorb ink in the nozzle.